Complete Details of NRA CET Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2020-21

Union Govt. has recently published a notification that the National Recruitment Agency will be set up from the year 2021-22 to carry out recruitment for various public sector jobs as well as the Group B and Group C jobs in central government departments.

NRA CET Exam – First Step to a Government Job 

As per the notification, NRA will conduct a Common Eligibility Test (CET) as the preliminary examination for recruitment by various agencies like Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Boards, IBPS, etc.

NRA CET Syllabus and Exam Pattern

The CET will only replace the Tier-I Exams being conducted by the above mentioned bodies. SSC, IBPS and RRB will continue to conduct their Tier-II (Mains Exam). Thus, the candidates will have to appear in the further selection process, as specified by the respective agencies.

So, what exactly is it going to be like? Will there be any radical change in the exam pattern and the syllabus? More important, do I need to start my preparation again from the scratch due to the introduction of the CET?

Let’s find it out in an insightful and detailed way.

About National Recruitment Agency (NRA):

This is going to be the umbrella organization that will be tasked with the responsibility of conducting the preliminary examination for various Group B and Group C posts in the central government and also the public sector banking. The organization will conduct the Common Eligibility Test (CET) for recruitment in various posts.

• Composition of NRA: This is going to conduct the exams previously conducted by IBPS, RRBs and SSC. So, the members from all these organizations will be there in the NRA also. This gives an idea that the syllabus of the newly proposed CET will be similar as the current exams.
• What will NRA do: NRA will be tasked with conducting the CET only and other than that; it will have no other authority to do anything such as recommending the candidates or appointing them. The job of NRA is restricted to conducting the preliminary level examination only.

When will NRA start: As per the notification of the government, the CET to be conducted by NRA will commence from the calendar year 2021-22.

Noteworthy Points

• CET will ONLY be a Tier-I test to shortlist aspirants. Clearing NRA Common Eligibility Test will not result in any final selection.
• Like all Tier-I exams, CET will be an APTITUDE EXAM on the same lines as before. The syllabus will continue to be Quantitative Aptitude (Math), Reasoning, General Intelligence and General Awareness.
• SSC will continue to conduct its Tier-II (Mains Exam) & Tier-III exams for CGL, CHSL, CPO/CAPF jobs.
• IBPS will continue to conduct its Tier-II (Mains Exam) for Bank PO & Clerical vacancies.
• Common Eligibility Test will be conducted two times a year.
• As per the educational qualification, CETs will be conducted at 3 levels: (I) Graduate level (II) 12^th Pass level (III) 10^th Pass level.
• CET is going to be held in 12 Indian languages given in the 8^th Schedule of the constitution. The candidate will be able to choose the medium of examination out of these languages.
• There will be 1000 test centers across India. Every district of the country will have a test centre.
• The validity of the CET scorecard will be 3 years.
• There won’t be any restriction on the number of times a candidate can appear in CET, subject to the maximum age limit.
• Based on the existing Govt. of India norms, age relaxation for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC) candidates will continue to remain in force.

Understanding the Common Eligibility Test

This is going to subsume the preliminary level examinations conducted by the various agencies such as the Staff Selection Commission, IBPS and RRBs. Apart from that, the state governments and the UT governments and also the private companies, if they desire, can utilize the score of the CET in their overall recruitment process.

• What is CET: CET is going to be the common examination that will be conducted to screen the candidates for the various posts under the Central Government, Railways and also the Public Sector Banks. This will replace the various preliminary tests that one has to take now.
• Frequency of CET: The CET will be conducted twice a year and the candidates can apply for both the times. There is no cooling-off period if you are unsuccessful in one attempt. Also, you can take it again if you want to improve your overall score.
• CET Score: The CET score will be valid for a period of three years and after that, you will have to take it again to be eligible for the concerned jobs. However, you can take it within three years also if you wish to get a better score. In any case, the recent best score will always be considered for appointment and recruitment by the exam conducting bodies.

• Age Limit for CET: The age limit will be similar to the rules as applicable now for the kind of jobs that you apply for. There will also be relaxation for the SC/ST/OBC and other reserved category candidates.

• About the Exam: The CET Examination will take place for three levels – Graduation Level, 10+2 Level and Matriculation Level. You will be eligible for these examinations based on your educational qualification.

• CET Exam Centres: The exam centres for the CET will be in every district in the country and the government is mainly focusing on the rural areas to be developed as centres so that the candidates from such areas do not have to travel far to take the exams. The exam infrastructure will be developed in all the 117 aspirational districts as well.
• CET Syllabus: The syllabus for this examination will be the same as the present syllabus and also the exam pattern is expected to be similar since the same think-tank will be behind it. Hence, you need not worry regarding the new pattern or new syllabus for this examination.
• Multiple Languages will be there: CET will be conducted in 12 languages mentioned in the 8^th Schedule of the constitution. This is going to be convenient for the students from the vernacular background as well as the rural background.

FAQs on Common Eligibility Test & National Recruitment Agency

(1) What is National Recruitment Agency (NRA)?

NRA is a multi-agency organization that will conduct the CET as a preliminary examination in order to shortlist candidates for Group B and Group C posts. NRA will be incorporated as a society under the Societies Act 1860. This examination is going to replace the preliminary level examinations being conducted now by IBPS, SSC and Railway Recruitment Boards.

(2) Who will be the members of the NRA?

The National Recruitment Agency will consist of members from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Railways, Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Board and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS).

(3) What is Common Eligibility Test (CET)?

CET is going to be a computer-based online examination that will screen candidates primarily for the various recruitment agencies such as the SSC, IBPS and RRBs. The candidates will have to appear in the Tier II and Tier III Examinations conducted by these bodies once they clear the CET.

(4) What will be the frequency of the CET?

As of now, it has been decided that the CET will be conducted twice a year. There will be separate Common Eligibility Test for:

• Graduates
• Higher Secondary pass candidates (10+2 level)
• Matriculate Candidates (10^th level)

(5) How is CET going to be beneficial?

CET is going to do away with the multiple examinations that are now conducted by the various bodies such as the Staff Selection Commission, IBPS, Railways Recruitment Boards, etc. This will save the trouble for the students as they will not have to appear for multiple examinations at multiple points in time.

Apart from that, the students will not have to pay application fees for multiple examinations; rather they will pay fees for a single examination. This will reduce the financial burden, especially on the poor candidates who will not have to incur additional expenses for travelling, lodging, boarding, etc. for each and every examination.

(6) Where will the CET Examination be held?

CET Examination will be held in every district of the country, irrespective of the same being rural area or urban area. The government will give special focus on building exam centres in the 117 aspirational districts. Apart from that, the main focus will be on constructing the exam centres in the rural areas of the country so that the candidates from the remote areas do not have to travel a long way to appear in the examination.

(7) How many times will you be able to take CET?

As per the Govt. guidelines, there is no restriction on the number of attempts for the CET, as of now. The aspirants can appear in the CET multiple times; however the age-related restrictions will be applicable as they are in the present situation.

(8) What will be the Eligibility Criteria for CET?

The National Recruitment Agency will conduct separate examinations for all the three levels – Graduation, 10+2 and Matriculation. So, only candidates with the requisite qualification will be able to appear in the respective examinations.

Apart from that, the age restriction will be there and there will also be relaxation for the SC/ST/OBC and other reserved category candidates in this examination.

(9) In what language will it be conducted?

NRA will conduct the examination in 12 Indian languages so that candidates from all the regions in the country can sit for this examination.

(10) What will be the Exam Pattern for CET?

The syllabus and the exam pattern for the Common Recruitment Test will be the same for all recruitment agencies. Hence, the students will not have to prepare separately for different syllabus for different examinations.

(11) What will be the validity of the CET Score?

The validity of the CET score will be three years from the date of result declaration. If there is more than one score, arising from multiple attempts, the best among them will be considered as the current score of a particular candidate.

(12) What will happen after CET?

Once you pass the CET and get your score, you will be eligible to be shortlisted for the Tier II or Tier III examinations that will be conducted by the respective organization, such as IBPS, RRB and SSC. You will have to appear in those examinations and clear them as per the requirement and cut-off criteria set by the concerned agency.

Once you clear all the levels of selection process, then only you will get a job.

Please keep in mind passing CET does not guarantee you a job. It is a mere qualifying examination, just like the preliminary examinations conducted by various agencies now.

(13) Shall I be eligible for any other job other than IBPS, RRBs and SSC?

Yes, the CET score will be shared with the state government, PSUs, UTs and also the private sector companies, if they are interested, in order to help them screen candidates for further selection process in the concerned organization.

CET is going to change the face of recruitment in the government sector in the coming days. You will not have to apply for multiple examinations but keep in mind, this is not the selection examination, and rather it is a qualifying examination. So, passing CET won’t serve any purpose if you do not clear the subsequent rounds.

(14) How does CET affect Your Exam Preparation?

The most important part in the whole discussion is what the students should do in this situation. Do they need to wait for the new exam pattern or should they stop the preparation? Will there be something completely new in the CET?

The simple answer is: NO

If you are an aspirant for the government jobs, you need to do these things:

• Carry on with your preparation: Do not waste time in procrastinating regarding the pattern or the syllabus. Nothing will change. Everything will be the just the same and you will also have to clear the examination with high marks so that you get a job.
• CET is not the final examination: Though a few organizations have stated that they will recruit based on CET scores followed by Physical Measurement Test and Medical Test, this is not going to be true for most of the jobs. So, keep in mind that you will still have to take the PO Mains or Clerk Mains or CGL Tier II Examination.
• Starters, please Start: The newbies who are going to jump onto this bandwagon of preparation for competitive exams, after seeing the dismal situation of the private sector due to the current pandemic, please start your preparation. You will still have to study English, Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning and General Awareness. These things are not going to change ever.
• Don’t wait for details: Do not think that you will start once details will be made available. NO!! The details are already there and that is why nothing specifically has been mentioned regarding pattern and syllabus in the NRA announcement. So, please don’t waste your time in postponing your preparation. That means wasting a year of your career.

The bottom line is that: NOTHING HAS CHANGED!!

Do what you are doing, try improving something you are not good at, but continue with your Aptitude Preparation. Vidya Guru’s Best Online NRA CET Coaching Course covers all aspects of any General Competitive Examination, be it Math, English, Reasoning, General Knowledge or Current Affairs. The course comprehensively covers the complete syllabus for a Govt. Job Aptitude Exam.

The bottom line is that nothing much has changed. This is just a new structure whereas the syllabus will be more or less the same and the process of final selection will also remain the same. Hence, do not procrastinate at all regarding the changes. Carry on with whatever you are doing now. In fact, the number of test takers is expected to take an enormous JUMP!! So, if you are yet to get started, DO IT NOW…

NRA CET Syllabus (Expected) – Quantitative Aptitude

NRA CET Syllabus (Expected) – Reasoning

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All the Best!!

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